hundred times but it never got
old, even though she knew every line, every frame by heart.
She felt a buzzing beneath her and realized that in all of her bundling up she must have inadvertently sat
on her phone. After several attempts to untangle herself from her mummy-like blanket wrap, she was
finally able to locate it. She didn’t recognize the number, but it had a Hope Falls area code so she tentatively pressed the answer icon.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Henry Walker here, Miss Lily. How are you this evening?”
She smiled at the mayor’s warm greeting. “Fine, how are you?”
“Well now, I’m busier than mustard trying to ketchup, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he
chuckled but continued speaking very fast. “The reason I’m calling is the parks and rec department has
been searching high and low for a seniors salsa teacher. Gladys fell and twisted her ankle so she will be out for the next few months. It’s just one hour once a week. What do you say, young lady? You interested?”
“Umm, well, I’d love to help but—”
“Great. First class is noon tomorrow at the Community Center. See ya there.”
“I didn’t say—” Lily heard the line go dead, and she looked at her phone to see that the call had indeed
been disconnected. Mayor Walker was quite a character. Lily had to admire his technique. He got the
portion of the answer he wanted and wrapped up the call.
Lily shook her head in amusement. You gotta respect that.
She thought about her schedule and knew that even if she had rehearsal with Karina on the same day
she taught the seniors it would be fine because she was already at the Community Center, and she was sure
that Karina wouldn’t mind her helping out.
Turning her attention back to the screen, she felt her muscles relax into the comfy, worn couch as she
snuggled into her blanket. Her eyes felt heavy but she wanted to at least make it to the lead actor’s big
performance scene.
She was able to fight the exhaustion, but just as the MC was stepping onto the stage to announce their
number, the screen went black. Not just the screen but all the lights in the house. It was pitch black and completely silent.
Logically she knew that she was not in any more danger than she had been when the lights and TV had
been on. Logically she knew that she was perfectly safe. Logically she knew that no one was going to hurt
her. Too bad she wasn’t functioning on logic right at this moment.
She felt herself taking shallow breaths as fear choked her throat. Tears were forming in her eyes as
memories began to assault her.
Sitting in a dark closet. The only sound was her short pants of air. Trying to control her breathing so they wouldn’t hear her. Wouldn’t find her. The loud pops of gunfire ringing through the air. Holding her hands over her ears to try and mute the deafening noise. Praying for this to be over. Her body trembling uncontrollably in fear.
She heard footsteps. They were coming closer. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.
Now, as she sat in her house, safely away from that closet, the same paralyzing fear raced through her
blood and made it run cold. She pulled her knees up on the couch and wrapped her arms around them as
tears flowed from her face. She could hear the loud crack of gunfire. She pulled the throw blanket over her head to wait for the memories to stop.
Pounding. Pounding. Loud pounding.
“Lily, it’s Eric! Are you okay?” Eric’s voice broke through the ocean of fear she had been drowning in.
She lifted her heavy head from the blanket and opened her eyes. She saw Eric’s large shadow through
her front window as he banged on her door. Her face, hands, and feet tingled from fear but she forced
herself to get up.
Her limbs felt heavy as she walked. Her hands were shaking as she turned the deadbolt, twisted the
knob, and pulled the front door open. The second she did, she felt a brush of soft fur against her hand. She looked down
old, even though she knew every line, every frame by heart.
She felt a buzzing beneath her and realized that in all of her bundling up she must have inadvertently sat
on her phone. After several attempts to untangle herself from her mummy-like blanket wrap, she was
finally able to locate it. She didn’t recognize the number, but it had a Hope Falls area code so she tentatively pressed the answer icon.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Henry Walker here, Miss Lily. How are you this evening?”
She smiled at the mayor’s warm greeting. “Fine, how are you?”
“Well now, I’m busier than mustard trying to ketchup, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he
chuckled but continued speaking very fast. “The reason I’m calling is the parks and rec department has
been searching high and low for a seniors salsa teacher. Gladys fell and twisted her ankle so she will be out for the next few months. It’s just one hour once a week. What do you say, young lady? You interested?”
“Umm, well, I’d love to help but—”
“Great. First class is noon tomorrow at the Community Center. See ya there.”
“I didn’t say—” Lily heard the line go dead, and she looked at her phone to see that the call had indeed
been disconnected. Mayor Walker was quite a character. Lily had to admire his technique. He got the
portion of the answer he wanted and wrapped up the call.
Lily shook her head in amusement. You gotta respect that.
She thought about her schedule and knew that even if she had rehearsal with Karina on the same day
she taught the seniors it would be fine because she was already at the Community Center, and she was sure
that Karina wouldn’t mind her helping out.
Turning her attention back to the screen, she felt her muscles relax into the comfy, worn couch as she
snuggled into her blanket. Her eyes felt heavy but she wanted to at least make it to the lead actor’s big
performance scene.
She was able to fight the exhaustion, but just as the MC was stepping onto the stage to announce their
number, the screen went black. Not just the screen but all the lights in the house. It was pitch black and completely silent.
Logically she knew that she was not in any more danger than she had been when the lights and TV had
been on. Logically she knew that she was perfectly safe. Logically she knew that no one was going to hurt
her. Too bad she wasn’t functioning on logic right at this moment.
She felt herself taking shallow breaths as fear choked her throat. Tears were forming in her eyes as
memories began to assault her.
Sitting in a dark closet. The only sound was her short pants of air. Trying to control her breathing so they wouldn’t hear her. Wouldn’t find her. The loud pops of gunfire ringing through the air. Holding her hands over her ears to try and mute the deafening noise. Praying for this to be over. Her body trembling uncontrollably in fear.
She heard footsteps. They were coming closer. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.
Now, as she sat in her house, safely away from that closet, the same paralyzing fear raced through her
blood and made it run cold. She pulled her knees up on the couch and wrapped her arms around them as
tears flowed from her face. She could hear the loud crack of gunfire. She pulled the throw blanket over her head to wait for the memories to stop.
Pounding. Pounding. Loud pounding.
“Lily, it’s Eric! Are you okay?” Eric’s voice broke through the ocean of fear she had been drowning in.
She lifted her heavy head from the blanket and opened her eyes. She saw Eric’s large shadow through
her front window as he banged on her door. Her face, hands, and feet tingled from fear but she forced
herself to get up.
Her limbs felt heavy as she walked. Her hands were shaking as she turned the deadbolt, twisted the
knob, and pulled the front door open. The second she did, she felt a brush of soft fur against her hand. She looked down
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